Point of View (Spyro Gyra album)

Infobox Album
Name = Point of View
Type = studio
Artist = Spyro Gyra

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Released = Start date|1989
Recorded =
Genre =
Length =
Label = GRP Records
Producer =
Reviews =
Last album = "Rites of Summer"
(1988)
This album = Point of View"
(1989)
Next album = "Fast Forward
(1990)

"Point Of View" is the thirteenth album by Spyro Gyra from 1989. The album cover shows a lizard climbing from a puddle on the pavement, up to the sidewalk next to a fire hydrant. The puddle mirrors a somewhat bizarre view of what seems like a jungle right behind the hydrant.

Review

1989's Point of View is a much more up-tempo collection than Spyro Gyra had delivered on their last several albums; only Dave Samuels' lovely vibes- and percussion-enhanced "Riverwalk" counts as a ballad, and even it has a moderately sprightly tempo. The problem is that Spyro Gyra's slower and more impressionistic tunes have always been their most interesting, and the lack of ballads is a fairly big strike against Point of View. Also, the too-concise arrangements — only the woefully misnamed "Swamp Thing" breaks the six-minute barrier, and over half the songs don't even hit five — keeps the group members, who are all fine soloists when they get the opportunity, from breaking out long enough to really build something interesting. Not quite jazz, not quite pop, Point of View is a record made only for unobtrusive listening in the background of chain restaurants. Even Kenny G. fans might find this stuff insipid.

Personnel

*Jay Beckenstein: Saxophone
*Tom Schuman: Keyboards
*Richie Morales: Drums
*Oscar Cartaya: Bass
*Jay Azzolina: Guitar
*Dave Samuels: Marimba, Vibraphone, Mallet-triggered synthesizer

Additional musicians:
*Julio Fernandez: Rhythm Guitar (on "Hannibal's Boogie")
*Roger Squitero: Percussion (on "Slow Burn", "Gotcha" & "Carolina")

Track Listing

# "Slow Burn" - 4:07 (Dave Samuels)
# "Swing Street" - 5:13 (Jay Beckenstein)
# "Fairweather" - 4:46 (Tom Schuman)
# "The Unknown Soldier" - 5:16 (Jay Beckenstein)
# "Hannibal's Boogie" - 5:59 (Jay Beckenstein)
# "No Limits" - 4:41 (Jay Beckenstein)
# "Carolina" - 4:34 (Richie Morales)
# "Riverwalk" - 4:29 (Dave Samuels)
# "Swamp Thing" - 6:26 (Jeremy Wall)
# "Counterpoint" - 3:56 (Jeremy Wall)
# "Gotcha" - 4:09 (Oscar Cartaya)

The track list comes from the 1996 reissue. The original 1989 version contained just 10 tracks. It did not have "No Limits", while "Carolina", "Swamp Thing" and "Counterpoint" were in a different order on that album.